2005-10-03

Clayton, best blocking receiver in football

Michael Clayton received some pretty hefty praise from the folks at Football Outsiders. In case you aren't familiar with them, Football Outsiders provides some of the better football analysis you will find. Think of them as the NFL's version of moneyball.

Anyway, here is what they have to say about Clayton's performance during the Green Bay game.

My favorite part of the play was watching Clayton. He lined up split to the left and knew it was going to be a short pass to the right. In that situation, a lot of receivers just take the play off. Not Clayton. He hustled all the way to the right sideline just in time to deliver a vicious block to linebacker Na’il Diggs, who was pursuing Becht. Wide receivers aren’t supposed to be able to obliterate linebackers like that, but Clayton did it.

Michael Smith at Football Outsiders goes on to proclaim that he thinks Clayton is the best blocking receiver in football, better than Hines Ward or Rod Smith.

Now, I didn't watch the Lions game and I don't watch enough football to have an opinion on who the best blocking receiver in football is, so if one of the Football Outsider guys thinks he is, who am I to argue different?